I will never forget my first promotion, moving from sales representative to team leader, supporting a team of three inside-sales representatives. It was an exciting time, and I couldn’t wait to dive right in. After the first week in my new role, my excitement was replaced with doubt and my dive-right-in attitude turned into hesitation. […]
I will never forget my first promotion, moving from sales representative to team leader, supporting a team of three inside-sales representatives. It was an exciting time, and I couldn’t wait to dive right in.
After the first week in my new role, my excitement was replaced with doubt and my dive-right-in attitude turned into hesitation. Did I make the right decision? Am I ready for these new responsibilities? What was I thinking?
The transition from individual contributor to supervisor is one of the most challenging transitions of your professional career. It can also be very rewarding. It’s perfectly natural to have questions such as: “Where do I start?” “What should I do and not do?” “Do I really have the experience and qualifications to lead others?”
Leadership experts, including John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, and Warren Bennis, provide great wisdom around improving our ability to lead teams and organizations. I’ve even learned some important lessons about leadership from fictional characters, ranging from Severus Snape in “Harry Potter” to James T. Kirk in “Star Trek.”
Let’s start with what not to do. New supervisors make three common mistakes that, if avoided, would make the leadership role transition a much more rewarding experience.
Common mistake 1: The “2-for-1” syndrome
Here is a typical scenario: Mary has been a star performer in the accounting department for five years. She is a team player, and has a strong track record in producing quality work and being committed to the organization’s mission. She’s promoted to accounting manager, responsible for supervising a team of seven people. One month into her new role, she’s feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and frustrated. The quality of her accounting work is suffering and her team isn’t performing. Why?
The reason is simple. She’s continued to maintain all of the same responsibilities from her previous role, as well as taking on the added responsibilities of leading the team. I call this the “2-for-1” syndrome. Old job, plus new job, bigger paycheck (maybe), added stress, and disillusionment. While in some cases this might work out fine, what usually happens is that after a short time, the new manager feels like a failure and steps down from the leading role — or even worse, leaves the organization.
When moving from one role to a new role, old tasks must be shifted to make room for new responsibilities. Have a clear and specific transition plan. It’s okay to make a few adjustments to the plan along the way, but be sure to focus on what’s most important: leadership of the team.
Common mistake 2: Maintaining an expert style of leadership
It’s common for organizations to promote their smartest and highest achievers to leadership roles. These individuals tend to have what “Leadership Agility” author Bill Joiner calls a strong “expert style” of leadership. What often gets missed in the transition from individual contributor to leader of others is the importance of developing what Joiner calls a “catalyst style” of leadership.
According to Joiner, the expert style leader is more tactical and problem-solving; a catalyst leader is visionary and facilitative-oriented. An expert tends to strongly assert opinions or completely hold back to accommodate others; a catalyst is adept at balancing assertive and accommodative styles. An expert avoids giving or requesting feedback; a catalyst is proactive in seeking and offering feedback. When it comes to leading teams, an expert gets caught up in the details of the work. A catalyst can understand varying views and ideas and will empower direct reports to make decisions. While both styles are needed, the catalyst is agile in moving easily between the different styles, based upon the situation. Be an agile leader.
Common mistake 3: Placing too much emphasis on being liked
While likability is certainly a factor in developing rapport with others, focusing on being liked by your team can be misinterpreted by others as trying too hard, being disingenuous or fake, and lacking leadership ability. Instead of focusing on likability, focus on areas such as being a good listener, being empathetic, being fair, being open to new or different ideas, and being interested in the aspirations of those you’re leading. Ultimately, that’s what your team really likes.
There are three key areas to focus on as you begin your new leadership role. First, start by building trust with your team. Trust is the foundation of any great performing team and organization. Get to know the individuals on your team and allow them to get to know you. What fuels them to come to work each day? What are their aspirations? Their challenges? How can you best support them? This is an important first step in truly creating a high-performing team.
Next, strengthen your emotional intelligence. The value of emotional intelligence in leaders is frequently overlooked, and yet research shows it’s the differentiator between one who manages people and one who leads teams and organizations. Author Warren Bennis, an organizational consultant, recognized as a pioneer of leadership studies, said, “Emotional intelligence, more than any other factor — more than I.Q. or expertise — accounts for 85 percent to 90 percent of success at work. I.Q. is a threshold competence. You need it, but it doesn’t make you a star. Emotional intelligence can.”
Take the time to improve competencies such as empathy, self-awareness, inspirational leadership, and emotional self-control. Leading with just your I.Q. limits your potential to be a great leader. Get smart with E.Q.
Lastly, get a mentor. Find one you can trust to be supportive and who will provide honest and direct feedback. Unfortunately, you can’t always count on your supervisor to provide the feedback that will allow you to be the best you can be. Your mentor is someone you respect, has a proven leadership track record, and whom you’d be proud to emulate. It could be someone inside or outside the organization, and not necessarily from the same industry or profession. Look for someone who will push you to get outside of your comfort zone to perform at your highest potential.
The transition from individual contributor to supervisor and leader of others can be one of the most challenging transitions of your career. It can also be the most meaningful and rewarding. Make, and take, the time to focus on what’s most important during the move from one role to another: develop a catalyst leadership style; focus on something other than being liked; build trust with your team; get smart with E.Q.; and find a mentor. Leadership author John Maxwell summed it up simply,
“To keep leading, keep learning.”
Leadership development is an ongoing journey no matter where you are in your career. Enjoy the ride.
Cindy Masingill is a partner with Productivity Leadership Systems (PLS), a provider of executive coaching and leadership training, based in Baldwinsville. Contact her at Cindy@DiscoverPLS.com
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ITHACA — “I feel like it’s back to the future,” explains Sean Whittaker, CEO of the Incodema Group, Inc. in Ithaca. “3D printing was coming into its own, just as I was learning CAD at SUNY Delhi back in the early 1990s. My first job was with NCR working as a mechanical engineer with printers.
ITHACA — “I feel like it’s back to the future,” explains Sean Whittaker, CEO of the Incodema Group, Inc. in Ithaca. “3D printing was coming into its own, just as I was learning CAD at SUNY Delhi back in the early 1990s. My first job was with NCR working as a mechanical engineer with printers. Later, I joined a startup, Ithaca Peripherals, where I was responsible for developing new printer products every year. Now, 25 years later, I’m building a new company dedicated to 3D printing.”
Incodema 3D, a division of the Incodema Group, was incorporated as an LLC in 2014. The first company accepted into the START-UP NY program, the new 3D printing enterprise moved to Freeville (about 10 miles northeast of Ithaca) in January of this year. It is situated in a 60,000-square-foot building, the former home of a furniture warehouse and showroom. The new operating company currently occupies 15,000 square feet and employs 15 people as it begins a $40 million capital investment over five years in additional 3D printers.
The business plan projects adding another 70 employees to the current 15. “We bought our first 3D metal printers in 2012 at $1 million each,” recalls Whittaker. “The goal is to have 100 machines lined up in this facility.” Whittaker projects Incodema 3D sales next year at $8 million and growing to $60 million by 2018. The building is sited on 24 acres, allowing for future expansion. Whittaker is one of four partners in the 3D company, each owning 25 percent.
Incodema is an acronym for the first two letters of four words — invent, concept, design, and manufacture. It’s a concept Whittaker developed to eventually become a single-source provider of the prototyping and manufacturing of metals and plastics. The launch of Incodema began in 2000, when the Ithaca native was frustrated by the long delay in creating metal prototypes, while plastic versions were produced quickly. In February 2001, he incorporated Incodema Group, mortgaged his house to buy a $400,000 metal-prototyping machine, and rented 2,000 square feet of space in Ithaca’s Technology Park.
Meteoric growth Whittaker’s conviction that metal prototypes could be produced quickly paid off. Incodema’s growth has been meteoric, fueled both by organic sales and by acquisitions. The year after incorporating his first company, Whittaker moved to a 6,000-square-foot building and just two years later, bought a 30,000-square-foot plant in Ithaca, formerly Kohler Machines. In December 2007, he acquired Midway Metal-Forming Corp. in Cortland from the owner, Richard Cincotta. The company made metal parts from flat stock and wire; it also designed and built tooling. The next acquisition was Newcut. Located in Newark, New York (Wayne County), the company manufactured precision-metal parts by the photo-chemical machining (PCM) process, an industry alternative to the traditional stamping, punching, laser- or water-jet cutting, and wire electrical-discharge machining. Newcut was a supplier to Incodema. Whittaker’s efforts to buy the company took two years, largely because of environmental problems associated with the property.
In 2012, Whittaker bought the equipment of a plastics-prototyping company named DPT (Design Prototype Technologies) located in Syracuse. He also hired six employees of the company. This August, he moved the former supplier to Incodema 3D in Freeville. The most recent acquisition occurred in 2013, when the Incodema Group added EMT in Endicott, a company founded in 1946. Formerly known as the Endicott Machine & Tool Co., Inc. and now rebranded as Engineering Manufacturing Technology, EMT positions the Incodema Group for both short- and long-run production of metal parts, sheet-metal fabrication, assemblies, fulfillment, and wire fabrication. All of the acquisitions have been asset purchases.
“Today, the Incodema Group is four companies with one vision,” declares Whittaker. “The consolidated operation employs 240 people, and this year we’ll generate
$40 million in sales. The group currently owns 205,000 square feet of manufacturing, office, and shipping space to house more than 200 machine tools … My whole life has been spent around computers, and most of our equipment is computer controlled.”
The four companies Together, the four companies make the Incodema Group a single-source provider. Incodema, located at 407 Cliff St. in downtown Ithaca, is an “S-corporation” owned 100 percent by Whittaker. It employs 75 people, running two shifts, in a 30,000-square-foot plant. The company specializes in sheet-metal and metal-stamping prototyping and in short-run production. It also produces plastic prototyping. In 2015, Incodema is spending $1.75 million to expand the sheet-metal and CNC machining at the plant. Newcut, also an “S-corporation” owned 100 percent by Whittaker, is located in Newark, New York, and specializes in photo-chemical machining (also called etching or milling). The plant contains 15,000 square feet with a $3 million, 20,000-square-foot addition scheduled for completion in October. Newcut operates with 25 employees.
EMT, situated in Endicott, is an LLC owned by three stockholders: Whittaker, Maynard Fahs, and James Kirkwood. Each owns one-third of the outstanding shares. The 80,000-square-foot facility is designed for long-run production of metal parts, metal fabrication, assembly, and fulfillment. EMT employs 125. Management has committed $5 million this year for expansion and equipment purchases. The newest member of the Group, Incodema 3D in Freeville, provides a facility dedicated to what Whittaker describes as the “wave of the future” — plastic 3D printing and additive manufacturing. “We are currently the third-largest producer of 3D metal parts in the country,” notes Whittaker. “It won’t be long before we are number one.” Incodema 3D presently manufactures in the 60,000-square-foot building with 15 employees. The equipment is designed to run 24/7/365. The stock ownership is divided equally among four partners: Whittaker, Fahs, Kirkwood, and Greg Galvin.
Incodema has assembled a strong team of employees. “These four companies contain a depth of experience,” affirms Whittaker, “starting with our 45 engineers, designers, and quality-control experts. [The Incodema Group currently has 12 patents pending.] The staff is highly trained, efficient, talented, dedicated, and focused on our customers. In fact, this team thrives on challenges … We have no problems attracting and retaining workers. For many positions, we start with just a strong work ethic, which fortunately is … [prevalent] in this area. Our job is to train those in entry-level positions and then move them into more skilled positions such as CNC machining. Because Incodema 3D is part of START-UP NY, we can offer new hires at that company a very attractive package that competes with any section of the country … Our proximity to Cornell University also gives us access to engineering graduates.” Whittaker also points out that Incodema 3D’s START-UP NY status is tied to Cornell University, which gives the company access to cutting-edge advances in metal technology.
Partners Whittaker has also assembled a strong team of business partners. Galvin was the deputy director of Cornell Nanofabrication and director of corporate-research relations. In 1993, he was a co-founder of Kionix, formed to develop micro-mechanical technology and optical-switching technology. Galvin sold part of the company in 2000 to Calient Technologies Inc. and the remaining shares in 2009 to Rohm Co. for $233 million. He is the chairman and CEO of Rheonix Inc. (polymer-chip, micro-fluidic technology) and of Mezmeriz Inc. Galvin holds M.S., Ph.D., and MBA degrees and is the chief technology officer at Incodema 3D.
Kirkwood, who is a partner both in Incodema 3D and EMT, was formerly the executive VP of Kionix, CEO of Wilcox Press, and the controller of the Pyramid Companies. A CPA, he also served as the VP of finance at Scholler Technical Papers and as the executive VP of special projects at Calient Optical Components, Inc.
Fahs is the president and CEO of Fahs Construction Group, Inc., a privately held construction company headquartered in Binghamton with more than 250 employees. He is also the president and founder of Hearth Management LLC, a chain of senior-living facilities with 14 locations in New York, Indiana, Connecticut, and Tennessee. Fahs is a partner both in EMT and Incodema 3D.
In addition to his employees and partners, Whittaker credits the Incodema Group’s success to professional associates who support the four companies. Tompkins Trust Co. and Chemung Canal Trust Co. provide financial services; Pinnisi & Anderson provides legal intellectual-property advice; Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP and Klausner Law offer legal business advice; and Sciarabba, Walker & Co. LLP is its outside CPA firm.
Well-positioned Even as they face stiff competition, Whittaker likes how the group’s four companies are currently positioned.
“With strong competitors in places like Texas and Florida, the group is finally positioned as a one-source provider,” he stresses. “This is very attractive to our customers who are concentrated in the aerospace, energy, medical, consumer-products, military, and motor-sports sectors. The parts we produce are lightweight, so transportation costs play a minor role in competing anywhere in the world, and overnight shipping allows us to deliver quickly. Put these considerations together with our employee team, capital investment, technology, and the fact that our current 3D parts are as good or better than the parts manufactured using the existing [industry] gold-standard processes, and it’s not surprising that customers are beating on our door…. ”
Despite the multiple projects on his plate, Whittaker is not slowing down. “I’m a believer in change,” he says. “In fact, I thrive on change. Yes, we have multiple projects underway in all four companies, but progress doesn’t come [by waiting on my timetable]. The Newcut Company is working on proprietary technology to produce conductive fabric utilizing the chemical-etching process. Our engineering department has produced a 4 mm. nylon, tin-copper-silver, conductive fabric which selectively removes sections of metal from the nylon, creating specific designs within the body of the material. The process allows us more definition to the finished design, the ability to make micro-sized components with precision placement, and removal of the conductive properties. The technology has multiple applications: resistive heating, sensors, patch antennas, and flexible circuit boards, to name a few. We have created a new company around this product called ‘SensAttire’.”
Putting together the Incodema Group has been a vision of Whittaker’s since he first saw the need for rapid metal prototyping. It took him 14 years to grow to the current consolidated sales volume of $40 million. His growth projections call for at least tripling sales just in the next five years. “Everything in the business world is vision and timing,” says the Ithaca entrepreneur. At age 47, he has both.
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